Foreign Liquor Prices In Delhi May Come Down Soon: Officials

The move is aimed at keeping foreign liquor prices in Delhi at par with those in Haryana and other neighbouring states, said officials.

Foreign liquor prices may soon come down in Delhi as the city government on Tuesday decided to seek undertakings from their principal importers to fix their imported brands' whole sale prices "lowest" for the capital.

New Delhi: Foreign liquor prices may soon come down in Delhi as the city government on Tuesday decided to seek undertakings from their principal importers to fix their imported brands' whole sale prices "lowest" for the capital. The move is aimed at keeping foreign liquor prices in Delhi at par with those in Haryana and other neighbouring states, said officials. The new measure is also aimed at preventing smuggling of foreign liquors to the national capital from other states, they said. The new measure has been incorporated in the Delhi government's new excise policy, approved on Tuesday. The policy seeks to change the terms and conditions for granting L-1F licences to wholesale vend of foreign liquors. "Both the principal importer appointing the agent and L-1F licensee, if any, have to submit an affidavit declaring that the wholesale price as submitted for price fixation in Delhi is the lowest anywhere in India net of all discounts, commissions, rebate etc. whatsoever," the government said in a statement. A senior government official said the "differences" in prices of foreign liquors in Delhi and Haryana lead to smuggling of liquor. The official said at present, suppliers of foreign liquor in Delhi, Haryana and other neighbouring states claim that the liquor rates at which they are selling are "lowest". "The government's decision to seek written undertaking will bring uniformity in prices of foreign liquors. However, excise duties may vary in states," the official added. "In case there is a reduction in whole sale price at any time during the year, the licensee/principal importer shall have to intimate the excise commissioner of such change immediately and in any case within seven days failing which it shall be treated as breach of terms & conditions," the statement stated. Any loss of excise revenue arising out of the breach of terms and conditions will be recovered from the licensee with an interest as applicable besides other proceedings which are liable to be initiated against the licensee as provided under the Delhi Excise Act, 2009 and Rules, it stated.